Heat recovery apparatus



w. E. scHMERTz HEAT RECOVERY APPARATUS June 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 22, 1949 INVENTOR. I wlLuAM ascHMERTL ATTOR NFVS Y Patented June 9, i953 UNITED STATES PATENT]OFFICEfj 2,641,456y 'i HEAT RECOVERY APPARATUS William E. Schmertz, Pittsburgh,Pa. v Application'peeem'ber 22, 1949, serial No. 134,476 v vThis invention relates to heat recovery apparatus for recovering heat from and reducing the temperature of exhaust flue gases, and more particularly, to a novel arrangement of appara# tus providing special advantages when utilized as a part of a regenerator structure on openhearth furnaces, for example.'

In furnace structures generally, it is desirable to. utilize the heat of the burning products of combustion as fully as possible, and to this end, efficient furnace design is directed toward holding the exhaust flue gases to as low a tempera,- ture as possible. Open-hearth furnaces furnish a good example of furnace structures in which considerable eiort and equipment is directed toward reducing the temperature of the exhaust ue gases through the use of complicated regeneratorstructures. The gas ports at opposite ends of an 'open-hearth. furnace'are connected with regenerator chambers having' a considerable' quantity of brick checker-work therein to provide a large area of heat'absorbing surfaces. The combustible gases which are fed to the furnace are heated by being passed through one regenerator chamber, and the burn-l ing products of combustion are exhausted from another portion of the furnace and are passed through another regenerator chamber Aand operate to transfer heat to the brick checker-work of` that regenerator chamber. At appropriate intervals, usually of the order of fifteen minutes; the vflow of the products of combustion through the open-hearth furnace is reversed, and in this manner, the brick checker-work in the regenerator which has been heated by thev productsof combustion is made to give up'its` heat to`the gas being delivered to the furnace for support; ing'combustiontherein.- This arrangement con# servesheat and enables a higher temperature to be obtained in the open-hearth. Although the heat saved is considerable and justies the expense and complexity of the generator structure yet in existing structures the ow of gases escaping to the stack have a higher temperature than is desirable and much heatis carried away by the flow of gases being exhausted.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a novel apparatus for utilizing the heat of escaping flue gases. Although the apparatus of this invention is useable in any furnace structure from which the products vof combustion are carried away through an exhaust ue, the invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with the regenerator of openhearth furnaces. As will be pointed outin great' n f 10mm. (01.263715) e v er` detail hereinafter,

' 2. f the apparatus of thislinventionj inl absorbing heat? from `the exhaust gases of the open-hearth furnace and in radiating such vheat back into thev regenerator, iin-- proves the operation ofl and increases the efliciency of the regenerator without requiring any change in its structure. l

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a heat conserving'unit which maybe placed in.`an exhaust flue directly in the path of the products of combustion being vexhausted so that it will be heated by such exhaust'products and will radiate heat back into the structure from which the products of combustion'are being exhausted. 'K Another 'object of this invention is -to provide a heat' absorbing unit which .mayA be placed" irl the connections' ofanlopen-hearth gas regenera-l tor to' the exhaust stack which will absorb! heat from the' gas ori its Way to the exhaust 'stack and which will radiate such heat back into the 'ree generator.

Another object of the invention isto provide a heat conserving unit for furnace exhaust ues which is provided with a plurality of heat ab` sorbing elements operating to dene atortuous path through which the exhaust gases must ow in their movement to the atmosphere so as to facilitate the'heating of such elements by the' exhaustgases' andl to enable the radiation Vof heat Y, description.

' In the" drawings, there is"illustrated a pre ferred. embodiment of the invention. In this showingz' Y Fig. I is a vertical sectional view of a typical open-hearth furnace ina plane extending through'the regenerator structure thereof, the view being a generally schematic View;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the'furnace structure shown in Fig. l illustrating the arrangement 'of 'the regenerator structure with. respect tothe furnace proper; the View being .turned at right angles 'to Fig. l andlthe plane of the section being at different levels, the vievw being a ygenerally schematic view; i

Fig. 3ris'a vertical'I sectional view taken vsubstantially in the plane'of theline III-III of Fig. 2; 1

Fig. 4 is an enlargedand fragmentary top plan view..of. roneof theheatrecovery or conserving units provided in the structure illustrated in the preceding gures; a portion of the unit being broken away centrally thereof, a portion of the top being broken away at the left thereof to expose the parts underneath;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the housing of the unit shown in Fig. 4, a portion of the unit being broken away and shown in section to illustrate the manner in which one of the radiating screens is mounted in position;

Fig. 6' is a fragmentary sectional and elevational view of a portion of one of the heat conserving units illustrating the staggered arrangement of the heat absorbing and radiatingscreenstherein;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevational vievv of a modified form of heat absorbing and radiating unit;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view 'of the modified structure shown in Fig. '7; and

.Figi4 9 isA a fragmentary elevation-al view of a portion, of another typefof heat conservingunit. Irl-.Figs .1 through 3 of thedrawings. there .is

showna typical open-hearthur-nace rvhieler-comprises afurnace part I hav-ing a tapping side 2,.a charging iside 3, and :air and gas por-tsV liv and 5 at each end thereof connected respectively with air ues anda gas-flue 'I-. Theiiues 6 and 1 dead downwardly into separate chambers, such as ate, which provide slag.r pocketsinwhich slag carried out. of the furn'aceby the burning gases may collect, :and which .are connected with' air andfgasiues 1.9 and I'Iias'indicated in FigiZ'` The fiu'es 9. :and 4I- are yeach connected Awith a heat regenerator structure II having brick checkerwork I2; therein for absorbing heat from the products or 'combustion passing fthereover. `The checker-work I2 is built on a :supporting struc-- ture comprising .a plurality of refractory .strips I;3 extending longitudinally ofA the furnace and having transverse refractmy' members M extending transversely of the upper edges of the support ing-strips I3; As-'bestshowninFig-S, :thBvStIipS 46 cooperate with they base. of the regenerator and .transverse members i4? to dei-lne a plurali-ty of passage-ways- I5 `through which the products of combustion .may .flow to the stack `after nowing. through 'the brick checker-Work I2.' The sta-ucturefthusiar described is thatfofi a typical open-hearth furnace1 and forinsno pant per-:sel of. `thisain'ventiori. Y

Generally)A speaking, the function of. the regenerator II I.- is; to absorb heat fromjthe.- products; of; combustion bei-ngexhausted from the furnace, and to give up such heat to theig'asfbeing fed'ftottheiurnace-.to support combustion therein after the A*flow l'of' the; gas through the furnace have a unit I6 mounted therein. Generally speaking, the function of each unit I6 is to absorb heat from the exhaust gases mainly by convection and to radiate heat back in a direction opposite to that in which the exhaust gases are flowing. In this manner, the units I6 radiate heat back into the regenerator structure I I which heat would be otherwise dissipated in the atmosphere. The heat radiated back into the regener- .a-tor ch-amber isof course absorbed by the structure of the regenerator chamber, which will v thereafter give up its heat when the ow of gas through the open-hearth is reversed. Although the-units it are provided in the exhaust passage- Ways I5 of an open-hearth furnace it Will be understood that' this represents the preferred eX- ample of practicing the invention and that the invention is equally applicable to other types of furnacesV in which heat is lost to the atmosphere through escaping flue gases.

Theeonserying units Il. provide a special action when yemployed in combination with thev regenerator-structure-of an open-hearth turna-ca` action wili be bestyunderstood by considering firstthe 'conventionadoperation of a 'typcai regenerator. The productsr of combustion flow downwardly over andthrough the brick checkerwcrk .in a typicalregeneraton and so. doing, heat;` the vchecker--work, the temperature of the brick .decreasing progressively from the top. of

, the Acheclser-vvork with the lowest brickA tem.

has been reversed. The products of combustiony 1 being exhausted from .the 'furnace give up .heat

to tlrefbriclr checker-work EI'2 by a Vcombined convecting landA radiating action.` Notwithstand-ingv the heat lgiven up to, the brick Ichecker-.Work t2., the-exhaust inleg-ases Aleaving the terminal 'ends of the, passageways I5 .have an. undesirably high temperature. yIn order to. utilize some of thel heat which isnow exhausted to. the atmospherethrough the escaping flue gas, each of the expassage-ways 115 is provided with. a heat: conserving indicated as a Whole by the' numeral I6, at the terminal end of such pas.- sage-Way or at its ,poi-nt of connection to;v the exhaustflue. Fig. 3 showsfionlytwoiof the exhaust passage-Ways I5 provided with heat conservingr units :Iii mounted therein, but it lwill be understood that all of the passageways rn practice `-vv-ilfll perature at the bottom. Thereare practical limits to the height of the;checker-worlrsncewihe creases in height :beyond ascertain, point willnot; operate to materially increase the temperature to which the incoming :gases are; heated upon reversal of flow through the generator. Although I thetemperature'oi the exhaust gases 'going to` the stack may be reduced by such an increase in height, the` additional heat. absorbed from the lexhaust gases is Flost by conduction 'due `to the large massief. matertalin contact with the ground overl a large area. However, by increasing the temperature @of the bricks in theA checker-Work, particularly Athose at the bottom. the temperature torwhicn the incoming gases are raised upon reversal -of flow is. increased; This action .is accompiishedbytheheateonserving units I6 of this invention. heat radiated back by'the units IISy is absorbed by the. furnace :structure -clenizrrg the passageways T5, y.and Vthe temperature of such stru'ctme is increased. This structure in turn radiatesthe heatalpivardly into thechecker.-` work. to: elevate the temperature :of the-bricks. particularly thoseat the; bottom of the .checker- Work. Gonsequentiy, when thelow iszreversed; the, cold gas :tlorvingV through the checker-viveri: has itsziemperatune. elevated above, that. 'which would be .reached by the `use, of a regenerator Without the 'use vof the `units iI. The units I'I4 tlfi'us `are eeotive to kmake a given 'regenerator more :eincent Without any change in the .structure of the regenerator itself.

Tlreprefrerred structure of the heatv recovery units itfis shovminiigs. .4l-.through .F.'romthis' showing, it will noted that' :each :of the. unitsl Iii. comprises a casing having a bottom 22u and side .2.1 and 22'. 'The .side 4wall 22 .hasfa topv 23 :pivojtedy 'thereto at 24 and lugs 25. :by which i-tsfother end-'may be .secured to the :side wall 2l-I.. r`Bhe bottom 12B4 Ytop,v and side walls 21 vand 22- defm'e'fa rectangular opening :substantialiy ofthe same area A,as that vof the channels l5 through which the products A:of combustion :must pass betore 'bei-ng :exhausted to 'the stack. .As best shown 5 in Fig. 4, the sidewalls 2| 'andZZ-are" provided with vertically extending members 26 defining-'a 'plurality of `notches or vertically extending yready -for mounting at the exhaust end of oneof the passage-ways I5. i

The expanded metal screens 28 vare cut in such manner that the openings 36 therein are staggered transversely across the unit I6, as best shown in Fig. 6. For this purpose, it is preferred that the expanded metal screens be cut alternately across the apices 3| of the metal strips defining the openings 30 and extending along the horizontal lines 32 and 33. In a similar manner, the vertical edges of the screens 28 are formedby cutting alternately along the apic'es 3I positioned along the common vertical lines 34 and 35. With screens formed by cutting alternately along the lines 32 and 33 with respect to the lines 34 and 35, it is possible to stagger the openings 30 transversely of the unit I6 by the proper selection of the screens 28. The openings 30 will thus form a tortuous passageway across and through the unit I6 for the passage of the products of combustion therethrough. Such products of combustionv in flowing through the unit I6 will flow over and around the metal in the screens 28 defining the openings 30 and will give up its heat to such openings by convection. The metal forming y.the screens 28 will thus become heated and the screens 28 adjacent the inner edge of the unit I 6will have their temperatures rapidly raised to a temperature substantially the same as that of the gas leaving the passage-way I5 while the screens 28 adjacent the exit side of the unit I6 will have progressively lower temperatures. The surface of the metal facing in the direction from which the exhaust gases are coming will radiate heat back against the direction of travel of such exhaust gases. Such radiated heat will be absorbed by the structure defining the passage-ways I5 and will be thus conserved until such time as lthe flow f gas through the regenerator is reversed. When the ow of gas through the regenerato'r is reversed, the heat in the metal screens provided in the unit I6 will be given up to the gases being fed rto the furnace in the same manner that the heat in the brick of the checker-work I2 is given up to such gases.

In a typical open-hearth furnace, the passageways I will have a width of somewhat less than two feet land a height of somewhat over two feet. For this size opening it is preferred to employ one-half inch to three-fourths inch expanded metal screening, such screening having openings 30 with a width of from one-half inch to threefourths inch along the horizontal lines 32 orv 33, the `strips, of metal defining such openings being approximately one-eighth inch across. In such a unit, the lugs 26 are spaced apart a distance of approximately one-half inch, and preferably, there are provided about forty notches or grooves 2'I in each of the sides 2I and 22 so as toaccommodate about forty screens 28 positioned transversely of each of the units I6. However, it will be understood that various shapes and sizes of screens may be used in accordance with the type of expanded metal available for the construction: 'of'. the` v-heat conserving 1 units andiy the requirements of the particular furnace for which the units'are designed. Regardless.l of the particular mannerin `which the heat' conserving units I6 are constructed, it will be found desirable to have'a staggered' arrangement of the open-'- ings 30 to thereby define a tortuous passage'for the'fflow of gas and :thus increase the amount of heat given up by such gas to the expanded metal screens inthe unity-I6. If desired, the heat conserving units may be constructed by the vuse of members'capable of radiating heat other thanl expanded metal screening 28 as, for example, in the modified structure shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Referring to this-structure; the numeral 40 indicates arside wall vof a unit 'Ita similar to the yside wall 2| of the unit I6. The sidefwall (not shown) o'fithe unitl Iaiopposite that of the side wall 40 is `con.-v` nected with the side Wall 40 by ,transversely'extending membersffII 'at the front and rear edges of the unit Ita. Aflatticework is constructed along theupper edge 42 of the. members 40'and 4I by the provision of a plurality of strips 43 mounted parallel to the members 4I and having their ends respectively secured by welding to the top edges 42 of the side walls 40. A plurality of strips 44 are mounted on the strips 43 at right angles thereto and are secured thereto as by welding. The lattice work ycomprised of the strips 43 and 44 dene a plurality of openings 45 for the reception of elongated metal strips 46 which are inserted endwise through the openings 45. A similar lattice work (not shown) is provided at the base of the unit I6a for holding the lower ends of the strips 46. As best shown in Fig. 8, the strips 46 are inserted in alternate openings 45 so that the strips 46 will operate to define a tortuous or zig-zag path for the ow of gas through the unit I6a. In this manner, the strips 46 will be heated by the gas flowing thereover and will radiate heat back into the structure dening the passageways I5 in the same manner as described in connection with the unit I6.

Another type of heat conserving unit is shown in Figure 9. That unit is made of an appropriate number of layers, say twenty to forty, of expanded metal screening 5I) such as used in the already-described unit. The layers of metal are slightly crimped so that some portions of the surface of each layer projects slightly above the general plane of the sheet. The layers are secured together by means of metal bolts 5I spaced at intervals and passing through the openings 52. The unit is of such size that it may be tightly jammed into the passageway I5 where sheets will be held in position by friction of the cut edges with the walls of the passageway.

From -the foregoing, it will be seen that there is provided structure which will absorb heat from the exhaust gases flowing out o-f the exhaust opening in a furnace structure and will radiate such heat back into the furnace structure. Moreover, it will be noted that the units I6 are effective to prevent the direct radiation of heat out of a furnace. In the case of a furnace, such as an open-hearth furnace, where the gases are periodically reversed in flowing through the furnace, the heat absorbing unit will be effective to give up heat to the gases owing into the furnace when the opening in which it is mounted becomes the inlet opening for gas entering the furnace. The provision of a heat recovery unit, such as the unit I6 and I6a in the exhaust opening of a furnace, will be found, by reason of preamines ventingzdin'aci:E radiationfof heat ont pf'theurnace and inradiatngheat .back into a furnace,- toeffeet a material saving of fuel in the operation of the-furnace, and the exhaust .gases in the stack ofthe furnace will be #found to `lziave a temperature less than that of a furnace in which the units VI6 arenot provided.

While Ihave illustrated and described one specificfembodiment of my invention, ,it will be understood that this is merely by Way of illustration, and that various .changes and modifica-tions may be made therein within the contemplation of my invention and under the scope of the followin claim. v

I claim:

, Ina regenerative heat recovery apparatus having.v a checker chamber and -a ue, the invention comprising av plurality of reticulated baiiie elements of relatively thin high temperature ,re-

sstant sheet metal located in the ue .adjacent the checker chamber and extending crosswise of theiue,A the openingsin the successive reticulated baiiiesv being staggered relative yto one another References cited in the me of` this patent j rmrrnny eTA'rEs PATENTS Number Name Date `1,531,648 Dyrssen Mar. 231, 1925 V1,915,880 Carrigan June-27', '1933 1,978,191' Forter Oct.k 23, 1934 2,171,353 Brassert Aug. 29, 193-'9 v 2,185,559 f Mohre't al Jan.' 2, 19e@ 2,259,913 Walters Oct. 21, i941 2,492,788 Dennis Dec. r`27, 1949 f FOREIGN PATENTS Number Y Country Date 516,965' lraneeA Dec. 2 1929 885,596

France Ma-y 31., 1943 

